Training opportunities and educational requirements for the nurse manager

It seems inevitable that hospitals must supplement the formal education of its nurse managers. To do this most effectively, hospitals must conduct a formal needs analysis to accurately assess the training needs of the nurses. Perhaps more importantly, an adequate evaluation of all training activity should be conducted to ensure that the trainee has actually learned what is taught; the trainee is satisfied with the training; the trainee has retained the information over time; and the trainee has transferred that training to the job. Since many hospitals report investing a great deal of time and money in these programs, it would be extremely beneficial to them to carefully assess the strengths and weaknesses of their training programs. If the program is not having its intended effect, the hospitals need to know exactly where the deficiencies are and how to correct them. By doing this, nurses will receive the kind of training that will help them to manage effectively in a variety of situations.